Juggernaut or Jagannath

Juggernaut or Jagannath

A Hindu god, "Lord of the World," having his temple at Puri, in Orissa. The legend, as told in the Ayeen-Akbery, is that a learned Brahmin was sent to look out a site for a temple. The Brahmin wandered about for many days, and then saw a crow dive into the water, and, having washed, make obeisance to the element. This was selected as the site of the temple. While the temple was being built, the king, Indica Dhumna, had a prophetic dream, telling him that the true form of Vishnu should be revealed to him in the morning.

When the king went to see the temple he beheld a log of wood in the water, and this log he accepted as the realization of his dream, enshrining it in the temple.Jagannath is regarded as the remover of sin. His image is on view three days in the year. The first day is the Snanayatra, or Bathing Festival, when the god is washed; he is then supposed to have a cold for ten days, at the end of which he is again brought out and taken in his car to the nearest temple. A week later the car is pulled back amid the rejoicings of the multitude at his recovery. It was formerly erroneously supposed that on this final day, the Rathayatra, fanatical devotees threw themselves beneath the wheels of the enormous, decorated machine, in the idea that they would thus obtain immediate admission to Paradise. Hence, the phrase the car of Juggernaut is used of customs, institutions, etc., beneath which people are ruthlessly and unnecessarily crushed.